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NEONATAL UNIT SISTER RAISES AWARENESS OF CAR SEAT DEATH RISKS

There’s not much information available for parents about the safety of babies in car seats.

So Michelle Clark, Neonatal Unit Sister at DRI, has produced information to raise parents’ awareness of the risk of car seat cot death. Her work has been recognised by Bliss, a national special care baby charity, which is publishing the information on its website at www.bliss.org.uk and in their information booklet for parents.

Michelle Clarke, Neonatal Unit Sister is pictured with a baby in a car seat.

Hilary Bond, Director of Nursing & Quality said: “This is an excellent achievement and we are proud to have such a dedicated health professional working in the Trust. Michelle’s work is being published nationally, demonstrating the importance attached to her work. I encourage every parent who uses a car seat for their baby to use this information to keep their baby safe. It is important to inform parents, other family members, and the general public when new knowledge is available. Everyone who cares for a baby should be fully aware of the potential risk of car seat cot death and how to minimise it.”

Michelle’s interest was prompted by the lack of information available to parents about babies in car seats. Health professionals also knew very little of the research conducted and subsequently the potential dangers of prolonged and bad positioning of vulnerable babies in car seats. Michelle has spent two years researching this subject, studying the findings from various sources, including New Zealand researchers, and the Foundation for Sudden Infant Death (FSID).She has now developed important information for parents to help minimise the risk of car seat cot death.

The findings of Michelle’s work are displayed within the Trust and also indicated below.

Young babies may experience respiratory (breathing) problems if placed in a sitting position or car seat. A newborn baby’s reflex to keep its head held up is not fully developed, meaning the head flops down and restricts the airway. It is always best to keep a young baby on their back wherever possible. Car seats should only be used to transport babies in cars, and other sitting baby equipment should only be used once the baby is strong enough to support their own head.

Car seats are designed to keep babies safe while travelling, not as a main sleeping place. The research recommends that frequent breaks are taken on long journeys to get the baby out of the seat, even if this involves waking the baby up. The same applies when bringing the baby into the home if they have fallen asleep in the car seat. The baby’s warm outdoor clothing should be taken off, even if this involves waking the baby.

If the baby is due a sleep, they should be taken out of the car seat and put into a cot or crib; the safest place for a baby to sleep is on a firm, flat mattress - a car seat does not meet this requirement. Worryingly, it has been found that some babies were spending hour after hour in car seats, ie during the journey, transferring the car seat in a travel system pram, and once home allowing the baby to continue sleeping in the car seat rather than waking the baby up and placing in them in a cot or crib.

All the advice suggests that babies should not spend longer than possible in a car seat, especially whilst sleeping.

Useful tips to help avoid car seat cot death:

the safest place for a baby to sleep is in a cot or crib on their back and in the same room as a parent or carer

you should never use a car seat in the house for your baby to sleep in

stop your baby from scrunching up and over, keep an eye on their neckline

make sure the car seat you buy is age appropriate and correctly fitted

make sure grandparents and carers know how to fit the car seat and watch them practice

where possible, babies travelling in a car seat should be observable by a responsible adult

if you are a lone driver driving a significant distance use services to check on your baby

babies find it difficult to regulate their temperature and quickly overheat. When in the car, remove any headgear the baby is wearing as they lose excess heat through their head

be wary of thick snowsuits. It may be cold outside, but cars can heat up quickly. Natural materials will help the baby’s body with heat rather than nylon, polyester, and other man-made fabrics.

Bliss is the special care baby charity that provides vital support and care to premature and sick babies. The charity also funds ground-breaking research and campaigns for babies to receive the best possible level of care. More information about Bliss can be found on their website www.bliss.org.uk